The Excellent rating
Enhance. Innovate. Celebrate.
About the Excellent rating
The Excellent rating celebrates excellence in the delivery of education and care. The rating recognises providers and educators using innovative practice to achieve significant improvements for:
- their children and families
- the local community and/or organisations
- the wider education and care sector.
Services rated Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven quality areas are eligible to apply. The Excellent rating is the highest rating achievable under the National Quality Framework.
Applying for the Excellent rating
Making an application for the Excellent rating is an exciting time for services and one where they can showcase their outstanding programs, practices and partnerships.
Whilst every application will look different, ACECQA have developed a suite of resources to support services to understand the criteria and develop clear and concise evidence statements to articulate their practice.
Start here
Complete the Excellent rating eLearning module:
Learn more through our additional guidance resources including:
- Excellent rating application guidelines
- Excellent rating re-application guidelines
- Applying for the Excellent rating - participant's handbook
- Writing an evidence statement
Apply now
Excellent rating application form
Form for services to apply to become Excellent rated.
Being awarded the Excellent rating
When a service is awarded the Excellent rating, that becomes the overall rating for the service. Services must retain their rating of ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’ in all seven quality areas throughout the five year award period to maintain their Excellent rating. After this time, eligible services have the option to reapply for the Excellent rating.
Excellent rated services are found in urban, regional, rural and various socioeconomic areas throughout Australia. While contextually different, Excellent rated services demonstrate:
- active involvement of their children and families across service operations
- engagement with its children and families to identify and meet their needs
- leadership extending beyond the service
- commitment to continual improvement and sustained exceptional practice.
Connect with voices from our Excellent rated services.
Ultimately, Excellent rated services transform opportunities into outcomes. Tailored practices, programs and partnerships are established to respond to service specific contexts, circumstances and needs. As a result, children and families experience improvements at the highest level.
Follow our easy steps to apply for the Excellent rating.
Excellent rated services
For more information and to locate Excellent rated services, use the handy map below or our helpful index.
Exceptional practice in action.
* These services have achieved the Excellent rating more than once.
You are able to view a listing of services that previously held the Excellent rating below. The current ratings of these services can be found using the National Registers.
* These services have achieved the Excellent rating more than once.